Fall Baking Favorites

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

The air is crisp, the leaves are turning and festive, and cozy kitchen smells are emanating from every open window—it's fall! From pumpkin-spice to apple-cinnamon and maple-bourbon, this is the most flavorful time of the year. We've assembled our best fall baking recipes for releasing our own cozy smells into the neighborhood.

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Pumpkin-Spice Muffins

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Pumpkin-Spice Muffins

The onset of autumn is worth celebrating, so why not make a huge batch of mulled apple cider and serve it with these spiced pumpkin muffins? The pumpkin adds gorgeous color, flavor, and moisture as well as fiber, vitamin A, and potassium.

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Carrot-Apple Spice Cake With Browned-Butter Glaze

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View Recipe: Carrot-Apple Spice Cake With Browned-Butter Glaze

We challenged ourselves to come up with a showstopping dessert that uses boxed cake mix as a starting point—and we succeeded. Fresh carrot and apple plus a splash of bourbon boost the flavor of the layers, while the browned-butter glaze is, well, the wildly delicious icing on the cake.

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Caramel-Pecan Dacquoise

Photo: Levi Brown

View Recipe: Caramel-Pecan Dacquoise

A perfect dessert dialectic: crunchy and creamy textures, sweet and bittersweet flavors.

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Classic Fudge-Walnut Brownies

Photo: Francesco Tonelli

View Recipe: Classic Fudge-Walnut Brownies

The intense richness from cocoa, melted chocolate, and chocolate chunks in this brownie recipe is simply unbeatable.

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Almond Coffee Cake Muffins

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Almond Coffee Cake Muffins

These sweet muffins are an ideal dessert or an indulgent breakfast. Whichever you choose, you'll love them for their nutty flavor and sugary topping.

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Apple-Toffee Hand Pies

Photo: Johnny Autry

View Recipe: Apple-Toffee Hand Pies

You can use other cookie-cutter shapes for the pastry, like hearts for Valentine's Day.

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Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt

The earliest ways of preparing pumpkin were savory, but sweetened recipes, like the first pumpkin pies—baked in the pumpkin shell rather than in a pie crust. We've come a long way since then. In this recipe, we mix pumpkin with bittersweet chocolate for a flavor that is decidedly fall and perfect for seasonal entertaining. (We think it's great for breakfast too!)

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Macadamia Butter Cookies with Dried Cranberries

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Macadamia Butter Cookies with Dried Cranberries

We love these thick, satisfying cookies—complete with the criss-cross markings of a fork before going into the oven. Dried cranberries provide a slightly tart counterpoint to the macadamia nuts' richness. Swap in dried cherries, strawberries, or blueberries for the cranberries to suit your taste.

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Double-Crust Apple Pie

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Double-Crust Apple Pie

A double crust seals in the apples' natural juices as the pie bakes for full-on apple flavor. Tossing the apples with apple juice keeps them from browning as you peel and slice them, and it adds a boost of apple flavor.

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Chocolate-Triple Hazelnut Truffles

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Chocolate-Triple Hazelnut Truffles

You’ll find a triple hit of hazelnut goodness in these creamy two-bite truffles: hazelnut liqueur, chocolate-hazelnut spread, and toasted salted hazelnuts. Eating just one of these über rich chocolate bites will leave you satisfied.

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Maple-Walnut Cranberry Pie

Photo: Chris Court

View Recipe: Maple-Walnut Cranberry Pie

While the buttery, maple-scented filling is inspired by classic pecan pie, we swap in toasted walnuts and add chopped fresh cranberries for a beautiful pop of color and tart flavor contrast that cuts the sweetness.

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Chai Latte Brownies

Photo: Randy Mayor

View Recipe: Chai Latte Brownies

If you love the rich flavor of Mexican hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon, this dessert will delight you. These brownies are best served warm and gooey.

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Caramel-Pecan Sticky Buns

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Caramel-Pecan Sticky Buns

It's hard to resist the sweet smell of cinnamon buns—now you don't have to. Chopped pecans add richness and just the right amount of crunch to these sticky treats.

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Variation 2: Spiced Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Photo: Courtesy of Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Celebrate the best of fall flavor with this creamy pumpkin pie. This version of the classic Thanksgiving pie is a fluffier, less dense version of the original, so it's perfect for serving at holiday gatherings when you want a crowd-pleaser.

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Apple Streusel Muffins with Maple Drizzle

Photo: Randy Mayor

View Recipe: Apple Streusel Muffins with Maple Drizzle

For these irresistible whole-grain goodies, it's all about the drizzle.

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Mocha-Pistachio Biscotti

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Mocha-Pistachio Biscotti

"Biscotti" is an Italian word referring to hard, crunchy, twice-baked cookies. These biscotti can be kept for weeks in an airtight container but are pretty enough to be wrapped in clear plastic with a ribbon and given as a gift.

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Variation 2: Maple-Bourbon Pecan Pie

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Maple-Bourbon Pecan Pie

Using refrigerated pie crust adds a little more fat to the bottom line, but we tweak the remaining ingredients so that a slice delivers less than half the fat and calories of traditional pecan pie.

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Cherry-Hazelnut Cake with Streusel Topping

Photo: Jason Varney

View Recipe: Cherry-Hazelnut Cake with Streusel Topping

Use a sweet fresh cherry such as Bing or Rainier for this hearty cake. You can substitute frozen cherries, thawed and drained, if fresh fruit is unavailable.

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Maple-Gingerbread Pots de Crème

Photo: Levi Brown

View Recipe: Maple-Gingerbread Pots de Crème

The crackly counterpoint to the silky custards occurs when you sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top and broil to melt. The caramel hardens as it cools.

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Cranberry-Walnut Tart

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Cranberry-Walnut Tart

This tart has a great basic gluten-free crust. The white rice flour and tapioca flour have a neutral taste that allows the flavor of the butter to stand out, while the shortening ensures flakiness. Fresh cranberries and walnuts in the filling make this the perfect tart to serve around the holidays.

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Pecan-Pumpkin Drops

Photo: Chris Court

View Recipe: Pecan-Pumpkin Drops

Take canned pumpkin out of the pie shell realm and stir into tender drop biscuits. Making turkey soup after Thanksgiving? You can serve these alongside, spread with a little honey butter.

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Chai Banana Bread

Photo: Mary Britton Senseney

View Recipe: Chai Banana Bread

You'll find all the delicious spices of Chai tea in one melt-in-your-mouth loaf of Chai Banana Bread.These spices work really well together and are a good contrast with the sweetness of the banana.

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Truffles

Photo: Peter Frank Edwards

View Recipe: Chocolate Pecan Pie Truffles

LEFTOVER: Pecan pie

This rich confection is a mash-up of cocoa and pecan pie, plus a little hooch for good measure. Rolling the truffles in dry-roasted almonds adds just the right amount of salty crunch along with each luscious bite.

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Hazelnut Lace Cookies

Photo: Randy Mayor

View Recipe: Hazelnut Lace Cookies

Wafer thin, Hazelnut Lace delivers a brittle-like sweet that delicately breaks in your mouth. Be sure to finish Hazelnut Lace with a light drizzle of melted hazelnut-chocolate spread.

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Mocha Pie with Coffee Whipped Cream

Photo: Chris Court

View Recipe: Mocha Pie with Coffee Whipped Cream

This pie comes together quickly and won't hog oven space as it chills and sets in the fridge (a great make-ahead option). You can use decaf instant coffee granules instead of regular, or leave them out entirely for a silky-smooth chocolate pie with vanilla topping.

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Roasted Banana Bars with Browned Butter-Pecan Frosting

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Roasted Banana Bars with Browned Butter-Pecan Frosting

Brown butter in a saucepan to enhance its richness, thus eliminating the need for full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. This is a great way to use ripe, speckled bananas.

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Pear-Walnut Upside-Down Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor

View Recipe: Pear-Walnut Upside-Down Cake

Crunchy and sweet, what's not to love? You can serve this at room temperature, but we think it's divine served warm with a scoop of vanilla yogurt.

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Chewy Caramel Apple Cookies

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Chewy Caramel Apple Cookies

These chewy cookies are actually gluten-free, but you can't even taste the difference!

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Fresh Ginger Cake with Candied Citrus Glaze

Photo: Nigel Cox

View Recipe: Fresh Ginger Cake with Candied Citrus Glaze

We fully embrace the peppery punch of fresh ginger, which gives this moist cake a surprising tingle. Kumquats offer a tart, sweet kick to the glaze drizzled over the warm cake. A bundt pan is key for presentation here.

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Double-Maple Cupcakes

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Double-Maple Cupcakes

Syrup lovers rejoice for these sweet treats, as they're not shy on the maple flavor by any means. These pint-size desserts feature maple syrup in both the cupcake and the frosting, so there's no getting around that oaky, nutty taste. The frosting gets an extra dose of maple goodness thanks to the addition of maple flavoring. Finally, a way to enjoy that unique, maple flavor without suffering through soggy pancakes and sticky fingers. Top these cuties with a walnut or, for a sweet-and-salty twist, crumbled bacon with a smear of peanut butter.

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Pumpkin-Hazelnut Cheesecake

Photo: Nigel Cox

View Recipe: Pumpkin-Hazelnut Cheesecake

Spiced pumpkin adds seasonal color and warm flavors to this magnificent double-decker dessert. Hazelnuts contribute their unique browned butter note to the wonderfully dense cake beneath the silky cheesecake. Shards of brittle add drama and style.

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Maple-Date Bars

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Maple-Date Bars

Moist and chewy, these date-filled bars make a satisfying afternoon snack or a nice treat to bring into the office. They travel well, since you can let them cool in the baking pan and carry them. Or, for a prettier package, place them in a cookie tin divided by sheets of parchment paper.

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Double-Ginger Pumpkin Flans

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Double-Ginger Pumpkin Flans

Unsweetened pumpkin and fresh ginger add an unexpected twist to creamy classic flan (also known as crème caramel).

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Apple-Cider Pie

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Apple-Cider Pie

This top-rated pie is a beautiful combination of fall ingredients. Reducing the apple cider gives concentrated flavor to the filling that keeps the apples moist and delicious.

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Pumpkin-Spice Muffins

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Carrot-Apple Spice Cake With Browned-Butter Glaze

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Caramel-Pecan Dacquoise

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Classic Fudge-Walnut Brownies

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Almond Coffee Cake Muffins

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Apple-Toffee Hand Pies

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Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt

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Macadamia Butter Cookies with Dried Cranberries

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Double-Crust Apple Pie

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Chocolate-Triple Hazelnut Truffles

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Maple-Walnut Cranberry Pie

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Chai Latte Brownies

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Caramel-Pecan Sticky Buns

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Variation 2: Spiced Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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Apple Streusel Muffins with Maple Drizzle

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Mocha-Pistachio Biscotti

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Variation 2: Maple-Bourbon Pecan Pie

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Cherry-Hazelnut Cake with Streusel Topping

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Maple-Gingerbread Pots de Crème

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Cranberry-Walnut Tart

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Pecan-Pumpkin Drops

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Chai Banana Bread

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Truffles

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Hazelnut Lace Cookies

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Mocha Pie with Coffee Whipped Cream

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Roasted Banana Bars with Browned Butter-Pecan Frosting

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